Marine waste recovered from deep-sea environments typically shows a high degree of degradation, causing the loss of its original physico-mechanical properties. This degradation makes recycling through conventional mechanical processes difficult and limits the waste’s reintroduction into the plastics value chain. The OCEANZYME project addresses this gap by investigating new enzymatic recycling solutions for marine litter.
An integrated approach: Metagenomics, enzyme characterization, and molecular simulation
The initiative runs from 2026 to 2028 and started at the end of January 2026. A consortium comprising the Plastics Technology Centre AIMPLAS, the Institute of Marine Sciences, and the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia of the CSIC is carrying out the project, coordinated by the Vertidos Cero Association. The consortium is developing OCEANZYME in collaboration with the Biodiversity Foundation of the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, through the Pleamar Programme. The European Union co-funds the project through EMFAF (European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund).
OCEANZYME combines metagenomic analyses, enzymatic characterization, and molecular simulations, together with the isolation of bacteria with functional degradation capabilities. The project aims to valorize marine litter collected by fishers through enzymatic recycling and to explore the application of the resulting products in sectors such as fisheries and aquaculture.
To identify, produce and test degrading enzymes
The consortium will carry out passive fishing campaigns in two of Spain’s five marine regions, the North Atlantic and the Levantine-Balearic regions, where average densities range from 40 to 300 items per km², in order to remove marine litter. Researchers will characterize the plastic waste collected to analyze its associated microbial communities through metagenomics.
At the same time, the team will carry out pure culture isolations of bacteria with the potential to degrade different plastic compounds. The project will also identify enzymes with degradation potential, model them in 3D together with the plastic substrates, produce them, and test them to validate their possible use in enzymatic recycling applications.